Bill Gates meets international students with scholarships from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation … [+] at Cambridge University. * The Microsoft boss told entrepreneurs and business leaders at the third Real Business/CBI Growing Business Awards in London that the next 10 years will be a “fantastic” time for commerce. Speaking for the first time in the UK for two years he said that although there would be tough times ahead trade would “loosen up”. (Photo by Rui Vieira – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
In my years of experience in large businesses as well as small ones, I have seen only a few great business leaders. I’m often asked what separates the best from the ordinary, I really struggle with the skills required. I don’t believe the myth that anyone can be a great leader by acquiring the right skills, but I do believe that many people have leadership attributes that can be developed.
I found some excellent direction on identifying and honing these attributes in a new book, “The Five Talents That Really Matter,” by Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton. These authors are key partners in Conchie Associates, a leading firm in business consulting, team building, and succession planning. In addition, they provide research and a set of tools for talent assessment.
I will paraphrase and summarize here the five key attributes that they and I look for and develop for extraordinary leadership potential in yourself and key members of your team:
1. Setting direction for today’s complex business issues. You need to be able to see the future to guide your organization and articulate the purpose and values which will motivate team members to stay fully engaged. All the while reigning in the tendency to drive quickly to action and implementation without weighing the contingencies and risks.
2. Building energy by demonstrating a burning work ethic. Use your strong internal drive, bolstered by self-confidence, self-assurance, self-efficacy, and high expectations to motivate team members to perform beyond their normal capabilities. You must never be satisfied with your or their achievements, and always look to raise the bar even higher.
3. Exerting pressure to drive change and improvement. Fight complacency and deploy an array of different persuasive techniques and processes to effect the changes you want. Be willing to stand your ground, while balancing these techniques with sensitivity in interactions with others to exert real influence. Be assertive without being aggressive.
4. Increasing connectivity and prioritizing people concerns. Establish effective followship through purposeful behavior, while demonstrating care and concern for those you lead. Invest in your people, care about them, and genuinely want them to succeed. Connect with others on an individual level and take an active role in their career growth.
5. Controlling traffic by establishing protocols and guardrails. Be sure to show and practice agility and flexibility, especially when circumstances change. Focus on defining and building the most appropriate structural framework to ensure an effective execution of your strategic direction. Always translate commitments to logical, manageable steps.
In most cases, I find that the selection process for future great leaders is the place to start for transforming your organization. If the focus for new hires today is primarily resume skills and experience, make sure you add interview questions based on the attributes above to uncover a candidate’s innate talents. For inside candidates, look at performance history along these lines.
A key component missing from most selection processes I see today is feedback to every leadership candidate. Although a candidate might not be the best match for a particular role at this particular time, they need to know why and how they may be well suited for a different position in the future. Don’t let future leaders slip away due to no feedback or mentoring.
A focus on diversity is another key element of the process. I see more and more evidence that diverse teams and associated leadership are critical to high-performing organizations today, and remaining competitive in this era of global competition and markets.
Above all, you must strive to be the model of the leadership you desire, by demonstrating the right attributes, independent of the professional role or title you have today in your business. In my experience, this is a mindset that will lead both you and your company to success, despite all the challenges.
